Tried & True
by sparkofcreation
Summary: Set a few months after Wicked took place, Glinda is asked to help the Tinman return to being human, but it's not an easy task. If she succeeds, will she be happy with who she sees? GlindaBoq, musical.
1. First Impressions

**Woohoo, new story. I can't resist the Gloq lovin' . Actually, there will be no lovin' (I really hate taking g's off words) for awhile, as this story will move much slower. Thanks again to my beta Kennedy Leigh Morgan (stupid thing doesn't like underscores...) for reading over my 5 billion drafts of this one haha. **

Glinda tapped her wand impatiently on the chair as she waited for her next guest. Once a year she was expected to do this, preside modestly over her citizen's who had various disfigurements and perform spells to cure them. _Sweet Oz, can they hurry up already? I just want to go to bed!_

It was late, and she was cranky - the ancient spells from Elphaba's thick Grimmerie were often complicated and exhausting, although mercifully the Ozians' requests were small. The most complicated spell she'd done that day was to lop off a woman's sixth finger - and Glinda had mastered that surprisingly easily. Anything more complex and she'd have had to admit her magic skills were never quite up to par.

A figure made of tin emerged from the door, stopping in front of the barricade of guards watching Glinda. She gasped quickly. _It's the Tin Man who organized the witch hunt against Elphie!_

"What can I do for you?" Glinda said pleasantly, forcing one of her brightest smiles to supress her flash of anger at seeing him.

The tin man looked at her imploringly, hoping she wouldn't recognize him as Boq from her Shiz days, the very same Boq who's love for her had failed to fade. "The Witch's spell turned me to tin, I was hoping you could reverse it."

_Ah! I know who he is! That horrid man who started that witch hunt for Elphie! _Her smile wavered ever so slightly before returning to it's almost unnatural cheeriness.

"Ah, I see." Glinda said nervously. "You may go." She dismissed her guards.

Boq looked at her curiously. "Why did you dismiss them?"

Waiting until the door closed at last, Glinda spoke. "I'll be honest with you. I'm...um...not quite sure I'm magically equipped to perform such a spell on you. I could end up killing you!"

He took a step closer to her. "Please Miss Galin...Glinda! I'd rather be dead than look like this."

She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know my name?"

"Er..you're Glinda the Good, everyone knows you name!" He said awkwardly, cursing his mistake.

"No, you called me 'Galinda'. That means you went to school with me, and I think I'd remember studying algebra with a man of tin! Who are you really?"

"Look, if somebody you once knew found _you _turned to this..hideous tin monster..would you really want to give up your identity?"

Glinda stared thoughtfully at him for a long moment. "I see your point. Well...I suppose...I suppose I could try to learn the spell. No guarentees though!"

Boq smiled as wide as his tin face would allow. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Please, please don't get your hopes up! I only said I'd try." She begged. "Come back in a few days."

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"Why am I even doing this!" Glinda scowled, thinking of the tin man who had staged the vicious witch hunt against her Elphie. But she knew perfectly well why she was doing it - if anyone in Oz found out she couldn't grant someone's wish, or wasn't capable of a certain spell, her popularity would plummet. That, and she wanted to know who it was behind the tin frame.

Glinda was sitting on the plush rug on her bedroom floor the next day, surrounded by pages of notes, and in the middle of it all, the Grimmerie. She had managed to turn a passing bird _into _tin, to her own surprise, but hadn't had any luck turning it back.

"Ah-erm...tumm...no wait, ah-toom-ah-tay? That means...exploding celery?." She muttered, the bird blinking it's shiny lids at her.

After 3 hours of looking for the correct spell, Glinda threw the book at the wall in frustration.

"I don't even know which spell I'm looking for!" She groaned, shuffling over to the wall to survey the damage. Something stopped her dead in her tracks. The thick book had begun to shake slightly, and when she reached out to touch it, the surface was unusally warm. As she held it, the pages turned, tantilizingly slowly untill it reached a page at the back of the book.

"What?" Glinda breathed, scrambling for the very rough translation chart that Elphaba had graciously left between the pages.

"Okay..Egnahc...that's "change"...hmm...nit maniuax? Oh wait that's creatures, no it's not it's...tin creatures! Change tin creatures...ekha hutma?" Glinda groaned, "What's an ekha hutma! It sounds like a disease...Oh wait, hutma means human! Change tin creatures..into? Yes, I think it's into..human!"

She was amazed. The book had shown her the correct page!

"Come on, birdie, you'll be flying away in no time!" Glinda said cheerfully, before looking at the spell. "Ugh! It's long.."

Elphaba hadn't thought to leave a pronunciation chart, so through trial and error, Glinda had established the correct way to say most words. However, this spell was speckled with odd, foreign phrases that she would have to pronounce perfectly for the spell to work.

She began to chant, stumbling over the words awkwardly. When the finished, she looked at the bird expectantly. It stared at her for a moment, steam beginning to spiral from it. Glinda waited for a second, before the little tin head flew off.

Walking over to the window, Glinda wondered how many birds she could turn to tin at once.

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Boq returned as promised. The maid pointed him towards a heavy wood door, and he paused before opening it, hearing eerily tinny chirps.

"Miss Glinda?" He called, opening the door cautiously. His foot crunched onto something, and he looked down to realize he had stepped on a tin wing, beside it was a tin tail, and next to it, a head. Boq looked around curiously. Shining birds flew around the room, all made of tin, though all had various disfigurements. There was one in an unpleasant shade of puce cawing at him, another seemed to be completely covered in lavender fur, and every few seconds a sickly green one spewed foam. Most however, had fallen to the graveyard at his feet.

Boq gulped. "G-Glinda?"

He spotted her in the corner, hovering over a thick book.

"Oh! Hello.." She smiled awkwardly. "You can probably tell I've been working on your spell."

"Um..yes." Glinda giggled at his reaction, disrupting the sleeping bird at her shoulder.

"These are my test subjects. You see, if I pronounce a word wrong, the spell fails. So I have to try every pronunciation to find a word that fits." Boq was impressed, she certainly hadn't been this intelligent at Shiz. "There's 10 words I can't pronounce, so far I've gotten 3 right."

"This," Glinda pulled out a bird "Has feathers, real feathers! I got the first word right there."

"And this one has a real chirp - that's the second ." She tickled it's belly, and it sang, unmistakibly the result of real vocal chords. "This one, well, it's begun to..defecate."

Boq smiled at her, she was obviously proud of her work. "I'm really impressed Glinda."

Her smile lit up her face, the first genuine one in a long while. She stroked the bird on her shoulder.

"This one has all three. But it's going to take awhile to figure out the rest of the spell." Glinda cautioned. "Come back next week."

"Thank you!" Boq bowed, turning around to leave.


	2. Heartbeat

**And finally a new chapter!**

**I'm sorry, I'm not pro at having witty things to say in author's notes. Um..Helen Dallimore pwns at Glinda. Srsly. Kthxbye. (my EYEZ! teh internet slang! It BURNS!)  
**

Glinda was waiting for him when he came the next week.

"I've done it!" She shrieked as soon as he was within earshot, prodding at the bird on her chair. "Listen!"

Boq had the bird shoved against his ear as it protested, loud and annoyed. "Huh?"

"Oh.." She waved her wand in a small circle and the bird stopped shrieking. "Now listen."

He did as he was told. Sure enough, through his molded tin ears he heard something truly amazing - a heartbeat.

"You..you did it!"

Glinda nodded exitedly. "Just last night!"

Her face was flushed and her eyes shone with genuine happiness and pride - she looked more beautiful that he'd ever seen her. Boq was so preoccupied by her appearance, he'd forgotten she was still speaking.

"..And I guess I'm ready to try it on you." She finished.

"Wha- Oh! Yes!" He stammered. "Please!"

Glinda sat him in a plush chair, pulling out her wand. She took a deep breath, and Boq noted her shaking fingertips. _This is it...I'm going to be human. What will she do when she finds out who I am?_

"I'm ready if you are." Glinda whispered. He nodded.

She began to chant, practiced phrases falling from her lips. Boq closed his eyes as a warm, bright light surrounded him. The light swirled in front of her as she tried to concentrate on the spell. Glinda was sweating as she chanted the last verse, realising it took a lot more energy on a human than on a sparrow.

When at last the final word was spoken, Glinda collapsed on the floor in exhaustion, forgetting entirely the man in the chair before her.

Boq stirred in his seat. "Sweet Oz!" He breathed, holding up a hand. "I have hands! And legs, and feet, and...oh!"

He looked down at his clothes, the same ones he'd worn the day of his transformation. Curoiusly, Boq peeked beneath his trousers, sighing in relief when he realised that he was indeed fully human again. It wasn't until now that he realised Glinda was on the floor.

"Glinda!? Glinda! What happened!" He scooped her up into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

She was far too exhausted to realise where she was or what was happening. Glinda was content, for the moment, to be tucked into the strong arms of a man, no matter who it was.

"Glinda...Glinda! Wake up!" A worried voice kept bothering her, a hand creeping up her neck to take her pulse.

"5 more minutes..." She muttered sleepily. Her memory flooded back, and she recalled the Tin Man and the spell. "Did it work?"

"Yes...yes. I'm human. Thank you." Boq shifted her nervously. Colour was slowly coming back into her cheeks, although she hadn't opened her eyes. What would she think of him now? He waited anxiously as she lifted her eyelids.

A familiar face swam above her, but she couldn't put her finger on who it was. Large brown eyes peered down, and Glinda felt a flash of recognition.

"BOQ?" She made a move to leap out of his lap, but found she was too weak. Anger immediately washed over her. Boq, her old schoolmate, had tried to kill Elphaba!

"Y-yes." He said timidly as she struggled out of his grasp.

"But you..how could you...why did you try to kill Elphaba?" Glinda was standing shakily, pointing an accusing finger. She didn't try to hide her friendship with Elphaba in front of him. "You were her friend once! You dated her sister!"

Boq shrank away from her. "Um..yes..but.."

"But what? You suddenly change sides?"

"No! It wasn't like that. Nessarose enslaved me! When I tried to leave, Nessa shrank my heart and Elphaba turned me into tin!"

Glinda was silent for a moment. "Don't you think that maybe Elphaba was trying to save you? After all, how could you survive without a heart - unless you were made of tin."

"She could have turned me back!" The memories of that day reopened old wounds, wounds that Boq was still bitter about. "They're both wicked!"

"Get out." Glinda pointed towards the door. "Get. Out. And if you ever, _ever _let anyone in Oz know my position on what we discussed today, I will turn you back into tin."

"Wait! Glinda, it's not my fault! I never meant to hurt you!" He pleaded. "I have no place to stay, and no job. Nobody will recognize me as the Tin Man."

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. You can stay in the servants quarters. One floor down, second door on your right. You can earn your rent by working for me."

Boq's heart sank as he slunk away.

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Glinda was tossing around in her bed that night, trying to come to terms with the events of that day. A tear dribbled down her cheek and onto the pillow. More than ever, she missed her odd green roommate.

"Oh Elphie.." She murmured, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened then, Glinda saw a faint curl of green light coming from the corner of the room. She sat up to see the Grimmerie hovering on the shelf where she'd left it, the light now brighter. Flicking it open, she thumbed through the pages until she found the page with the spell she'd used on Boq. Sure enough, a picture was beginning to form from the words.

"It's good to see me isn't it?" Pictured on the page was Elphaba, smirking at her.

"What?! Elphie! How are you here..." Glinda gasped.

"Don't worry about me." The inked drawing of Elphaba said quickly. "Nice job on that spell. Of course, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have found it."

"You made the pages turn?"

Elphaba's sketchy face nodded. "But what is it that you're crying over, my pretty."

"Elphie, it was Boq that planned the witch hunt against you! He was the tin man!" Glinda whimpered, wanting desperately to reach through the pages and be squeezed into her friend's arms.

"I know. I don't blame him for being bitter - give him some time to think it over. I think that if you let him stick around, you might just change his opinion on the whole ordeal. And if you change his mind...well, you'll have made me very happy." Elphaba smiled wryly. "Sleep well, Glinda."

"No! Elphie! Wait!"

But as soon as she'd appeared, the picture of Elphaba had gone with a cackle. The light faded. Nontheless, her arrival had soothed Glinda somewhat. She made her way back to bed, falling asleep imediately.

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Two floors below, Boq was looking out the window in a small bedroom. He'd been directed to the servant's quarters and given a fresh set of clothes and a bed. But he couldn't sleep. He was mulling over what Glinda had said.

_It makes sense..._Boq admitted to himself. _It wasn't Elphaba's fault, she was just trying to fix Nessa's mistakes any way possible. _

He still couldn't shake the feelings of resentment towards her. She was still responsible for leaving him as a tin man, and that he couldn't forget. But Boq knew that he shouldn't have started that Witch Hunt. Look who he'd ended up hurting, the one person he'd always loved.

**Les reviews are le love mon amies.**


	3. Sunrise

**Look! An update! And it hasn't even been a year yet:P Okay, so I'm bad at fast updates. But exams SUCK. And that is all. **

_It had to have been a dream._ Glinda mused as she awoke early the following day. _Elphaba is dead! She couldn't...I must have been exhausted from that spell. _She scuttled out of bed and over to her bookshelf, flipping through the pages of the Grimmerie. Nothing. No traces of the glowing picture she'd seen last night.

"I'm going mad." Glinda muttered, throwing on a dressing gown and stretching in the dim light. Still, she couldn't help but remember Elphaba's advice.

_I think that if you let him stick around, you might just change his opinion on the whole ordeal. And if you change his mind...well, you'll have made me very happy._

Whether it was truly Elphaba or not, Glinda decided to consider her advice. She'd let him stay, at least for awhile.

The sun was just beginning to rise and the household seemed to be fast asleep as she tiptoed down to the kitchen. Plucking a few leftover pastries from the breadbox, Glinda stole out to the garden, her hemline dragging in the morning dew.

Sitting in the gentle morning sun with her bare feet dangling, Glinda exhaled slowly. For once she was alone and free to do as she pleased, at least for an hour or two. However even in her rare moment of solitude, she was unhappy. The appearances of Elphaba and Boq brought with them a wave of painful memories.

A fat tear rolled down her cheek as she popped a piece of pastry into her mouth, hardly tasting. Glinda bit her lip as another tear splashed onto her nightdress, wiping them both away hastily as she heard footsteps crunch behind her.

"Glinda?"

She sighed. Somebody had found her, and they were probably about to force her back to bed.

Boq's head peered around a tree. "Sorry...I was just watering the garden and I..um."

Despite herself, Glinda laughed. "They always seem to put the newcomers on early morning garden duty."

"I don't really mind, I kind of like it out here this early." He smiled shyly.

"Me too.." She said without thinking. _Glinda! You're talking to the enemy! _Mentally scolding herself, she looked away.

Ever dutiful, Boq began to carefully water the nearby flowers. "Glinda..I've uh..been thinking. About Elphaba and...you know."

That caught her attention. "What do you mean?"

"Well...that maybe I shouldn't have made that Witch Hunt. And maybe it wasn't Elphaba's fault. But I..I don't know, I still resent her. She did turn me into tin after all - even if, well, it saved my life." He flushed pink.

To his surprise, Glinda nodded slowly. "I think that maybe I understand too. You were held captive by Nessa for all those years, no wonder you were bitter. Even though you shouldn't have taken it out on Elphaba, I guess I can see where you were coming from. I kind of overreacted last night. That doesn't mean I'm not mad though."

"And I'm still mad at Elphaba." Boq realised he'd been working over the same patch of flowers for awhile, and they were now droopy with water.

She smiled wryly at him. "I guess we're both kind of holding grudges."

"Guess so." Boq grinned at her. "You were always terribly stubborn."

"I was not!" Glinda giggled, "I just like having my way!"

He laughed and moved to the other side of the flower bed. She finished her pastry slowly, deciding against telling him of her vision of Elphaba's face in the Grimmerie.

"Boq?" Glinda said suddenly. "All our friends from Shiz are dead now. Do you ever think about that?"

Boq jerked his head up. She was sitting on the bench, her face pink with the strain of holding back tears.

Hesitantly he sat next to her, shyly wrapping his arms around her slim shoulders. For a second, just the barest hint of a second, she allowed herself to feel the old relief of having somebody else deal with her problems. To have a pair of strong arms to come home to.

It dredged up more painful memories than she could handle. She started to sob, and not the tiny, delicate sobs he expected from her, but huge heaving gasps of utter desolation.

"I m-miss them!" Glinda whimpered, sitting stiffly, afraid to let herself relax in his embrace. "F-Fiyero left me. Did you know that? He left me before he died.."

Boq hadn't known that, but he hid his surprise, proffering a handkerchief. She dabbed at her eyes.

"He never loved me! He loved Elphaba. And now she's dead too." She gently, hesitantly, leaned into Boq's chest, half expecting him to push her off as Fiyero sometimes had. When he didn't, Glinda sniffled and buried her head into the crook of his neck.

"Shh...it's okay now...you're okay.." He tried to console her, gently tracing circles on her back with his fingertips. "You've been through a lot."

Glinda nodded silently, closing her eyes.

"You don't really have to be a servant here." She whispered, "I only said that because I was mad."

"And I only said Elphaba was wicked because I was mad.." Boq smiled wryly. "I guess a night's sleep did us good.."

She managed a little smile. "I guess so."

They sat in comfortable silence, watching the warm summer sun rise in the sky.

"I guess I should go back to bed...I want a few more hours of sleep before I have to face today." Glinda snuggled closer into his arms, all her previous worries long gone. "I'll show you a guest room on your way."

Boq nodded, grateful for the distraction. Once he had calmed Glinda down, there was no way out of noticing that she was curled in his lap in her short, pink nightdress . He couldn't help but notice how _thin _it was, he could nearly see through it. Boq wiped the stray tears from her cheeks, hoping she didn't notice how nervous he was at performing so intimate a task.

Once inside, Glinda showed him to a much nicer room than the one he'd had in the servant's quarters. He stood awkwardly at the door.

"I'm sorry I lost control like that. I certainly didn't intend to bawl my eyes out on your sleeve." Glinda smiled shyly. "But you were awfully nice. Thank you."

Boq turned red, "It's nothing. I have a lot of younger siblings so.."

"Well, thank you." She leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly, before slipping away to her own room. Boq stood for minute, palm covering where she'd kissed. He all but skipped into his room.

_I'm making progress with her! _He thought gleefully. _After all those years, I'm finally getting somewhere._

**Reviews do speed up the updates...just saying ;D**


	4. One Moment

**So I'm finally updating this! Yay me. And expect another chapter soon as well :) **

Glinda didn't get to see Boq until that afternoon's tea. He smiled bashfully and despite her better instincts, she patted the plush couch beside her.

"Tea?" She motioned to the dainty set beside her, suddenly timid.

He nodded, equally uncomfortable. Once the tea had been poured and the silence had become unbearable, Boq placed a tentative hand on her forearm.

"Are you feeling better than this morning?"

Glinda looked up abruptly - the genuine concern in his voice was quite unlike anything she'd heard lately.

She met his eyes and he blushed pink. "I'm sorry I - I shouldn't have said anything.."

"No..it's not that, it's just...you actually care." Glinda admitted.

"But...all of Oz cares about you!"

She shrugged. "No, not really. They care that their bills will get paid, and their crops will be healthy - they don't care about my feelings. Neither do any of my staff, or my parents."

"I've always cared." Boq said softly, lowering his eyes. She leaned a little closer, unsure of what to say, and brushed her lips softly on his. He gasped in surprise, awkwardly returning the kiss.

Glinda shivered, loving the sensation of his hot mouth on hers. _Wait! What am I doing?! This is Boq, remember! I-I..can't...this is..._

Breathlessly she pulled herself away. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have done that." She stood and hurried out of the room, leaving Boq completely baffled.

"I can't believe I just kissed Boq!" She murmured to herself as she hurried down the hall. Her face burned with embarrassment as she reached her bedroom, taking a seat at her makeup table and burying her face in her hands. _Well now I'll never be able to look him in the eye..._

Absently she fiddled with her hair. _Why did I even kiss him? It was such a stupid idea..but, I guess I'm kind of lonely . It's been awhile since Fiyero and...well that was never real love. _

"Not that this is either!" She scolded herself. "Lust. That's all it is. Kissing him was a bad idea. A bad idea that will _never_ happen again."

But a part of her disagreed with that. _Could I be...falling for him?_

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Boq was still trying to make sense of what had happened that afternoon a few days later as he prepared for the charity ball Glinda was hosting that evening. Lately, it seemed that she was avoiding him - he had seen her on several occasions, and as soon as he made a move to go talk to her she disappeared into a bustle of activity.

He sighed as he finished buttoning his suit jacket. What exactly had gone on? One second she was kissing him, the next she was completely ignoring him.

_I'll corner her tonight, _Boq vowed_. She has to talk to me sometime._

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Later, as Glinda surveyed the ballroom, she felt a sense of accomplishment. In the past three days she'd managed to organise this whole occasion as well as several other pressing engagements that had been put off for too long. Boq had tried to approach her many times, but she'd purposely kept busy, avoiding the explanation of her clumsy kiss.

Satisfied that there was no one she should be talking to, Glinda leaned against the wall wearily. Her head felt heavy, and the room had begun spinning half an hour ago.

"Just too much champagne.." She muttered, although she'd barely had a sip. Slowly she lifted her whirling head and tried to focus on the blurry scene. Who was coming towards her?

Boq's face suddenly swam in front of her. "Glinda? Glinda are you alright?"

"I'm f-" She started, but then shook her head. "No."

"Have you been drinking?"

"No." Her face was ashen and her head drooped. "Will you stop everyone from spinning?"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, worried. "Come on, let's get back home."

"Mmm." Glinda groaned, glad for the strong arms to support her.

Boq slipped out a side door and hailed a carriage, loading her into it. She lay limply in his lap, and he felt his stomach tense with fear.

"You'll be fine, just relax." He reassured her, more for himself than anything.

"Boq...I have to talk to you about.."

"Later. Just relax right now." Boq stroked her forehead lightly, Glinda shut her eyes.

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She woke up an hour later with several faces swimming above her. A few were her staff, she made out, one must be a doctor of some sort, and Boq stood beside him, his face pinched with worry.

"What?" Glinda whimpered, terrified of the strange new doctor and the crowd around her.

"It seems you've been bitten by a Munchkinland tree spider." He said, pointing to her ankle, where her stocking had been cut off to reveal a large red welt. "Don't worry, you'll recover with the right medicine and plenty of rest."

"But...I liked those stockings!" She blurted out, her lower lip quivering. Boq smiled slightly, squeezing her hand.

"You can get new ones, I promise." He assured her, looking relieved. "Drink this."

Glinda gulped down the vial of bitter tasting liquid, making a face.

"Once a day for the next week, and stay in bed." The doctor ordered. Glinda nodded slightly, and was helped into a soft nightdress once he and Boq had left the room.

Once she was tucked into bed, Boq returned, sitting beside her. "How do you feel?"

"Still dizzy and faint, but a little better." She murmured. "Boq I..."

"Shh..." He rubbed her back soothingly, unfastening her hairpins so her golden curls tumbled onto the pillowcase.

Glinda obeyed, closing her eyes. As much as she wanted to shy away from the awkwardness between them, it was hard to deny his warm palms on her aching muscles felt good.

_I'll deal with it tomorrow. _She vowed, giving in to sleep.

**Reviews win.**


	5. Getting Somewhere

**Okay, so last chapter I was a little disappointed by the number of reviews. I don't really mind, I'm writing this for myself, but it's really hard for me to write more if I don't know what you like or don't. So if you want more chapters, I want a little more feedback, mkay?**

Glinda recalled the events of the previous night as she lay in bed. The rest of the household was asleep - the sun had barely begun to rise - but the persistent drumming in her head had woken her. She groaned softly, looking around. Boq was asleep in the chair beside her bed, head propped on his arm. Despite herself, Glinda smiled. His hair was tousled and he was still in his suit from the ball - without the jacket, which she vaguely remembered having around her shoulders at some point.

She lifted her head tentatively.

"Ugh..not a good idea." Glinda muttered as her world began to spin. Her shoulders ached, so she snuggled back under the covers.

Boq awoke, smiling drowsily at her. "G'morning."

"Morning." She spoke softly, feeling awkward with him.

He sat on the side of her bed. "How are you doing?"

Glinda just groaned.

"That bad huh?" Boq chuckled. "Dizzy?"

She nodded. "And everything _hurts!_ "

He poured a cup of the same bitter liquid as before, ordering her to drink it. She made a face. "It'll make you feel better, I promise."

Once she downed the liquid, they lapsed into awkward silence. "Boq, can we talk?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"When I kissed you, I just made things awkward didn't I? I never should have done that, and I'm sorry. I think the best thing for us right now is to just to be friends."

Boq sighed inwardly. _Just when I thought I was getting somewhere..._

"Whatever you want." He smiled, determined to win her over, no matter how long it took.

"Okay good." Glinda had expected to feel relieved, but instead she felt a pang of...something. Regret? She shrugged it off.

"Do you need me for anything? Trust me, I've been bitten by those spiders so many times. I know what you're going through." Boq laughed, massaging her shoulders gently.

His fingers kneading her aching shoulder blades was pure heaven. She gave a little yelp of pleasure as he rubbed a particularly tender spot, sending shivers down Boq's spine as he imagined her making that sound in very different circumstances. He gulped, trying to compose himself.

Glinda felt like she was sinking into the mattress, his hands putting her back to sleep in minutes. Boq left quietly, fumbling with his belt buckle as he returned to his room.

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When she woke up hours later, Glinda felt worlds better. She sat up slowly, testing the waters. Not bad. Still very weak and slightly dizzy, but better.

"Tea?" One of her housekeepers was offering a mug. She accepted it gladly, the warm liquid soothing her frazzled senses.

"Glinda?" Boq poked his head into the room, thrilled to see her sitting. _Don't make this awkward, _he told himself. "You look better."

She grinned at him. "I feel better! Can I get up now?"

He laughed, and sat down beside her. "Stay in bed for a couple of days first okay?"

"But all of Oz..." She protested.

"Knows you're sick." Boq finished firmly. "Every room in the house is packed with flowers from well wishers."

Glinda pouted. "Okay. But can you bring me some paperwork or something?"

"Maybe tomorrow. Take it easy today." He was impressed, she obviously loved her job and her people very much.

"But what do I _do _all day?" She whined, staring at him petulantly.

"You're as bad as one of my little sisters!" Boq laughed, "Would you like me to read you stories all day like I used to do for them?"

He was being sarcastic, but Glinda's face lit up. "Would you really?"

"Well if you actually want me to..." Boq was baffled. "I don't have any books!"

She was clearly not taking no for an answer. "Make something up then."

"Alright, once upon a time there was a fairy princess..."

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	6. A Case Of You

**Yayyy update:D **

Boq had brought Glinda a stack of papers to work on, as he had promised, the next day.

"Financial records!" Glinda wrinkled her nose.

"I'm sorry, I just thought since they're so out of date that.." He stopped at her menacing glare.

"They are not!" She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Glinda! These haven't been updated since the Wizard was in power!"

Her pale cheeks coloured a little as she admitted, "Okay, so I'm not that great at math."

"It's really not that hard." He sat beside her on the bed, "Look."

Boq scratched down a series of quick calculations and presented it to her with a flourish. Glinda puffed up her cheeks and blew the air out slowly, trying to understand what he had just written.

"Um, yeah. I'll get started on that later. I'm kind of..tired." She flopped down beneath the sheets, and as if to illustrate her point, gave an exaggerated yawn.

"Well I _was_ going to offer to finish them for you, but if you say so.." Boq grinned at her.

One blue eye popped open. "I suppose I could let you finish them, just because you obviously want to. I'm a very generous woman you know."

"Of course." He chuckled, "You must get your beauty sleep after all."

"Yes." Glinda yawned now, genuine this time. The spider's venom was still potent, and it took very little to tire her out. "I should..'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later Boq was deeply engrossed in Glinda's records. The Wizard had left Oz in financial and political ruin, but somehow, in ways he couldn't begin to comprehend, Glinda had put Oz back on it's feet. All those charity balls, he noted, weren't frivolous at all. Donations and admission fees from the balls she hosted paid a large portion of the Wizard's debt, and Glinda had already initiated reform in Munchkinland and freed the Animal population, even going so far as to issue a public apology for the Wizard's behaviour.

Boq shook his head, staring at Glinda as she slept. She looked so frail, so tiny, and if not for those voluptuous curves, almost like a small child. How had she managed something like this?

He suddenly felt inadequate. How could he even hope to attract such an accomplished woman? Sure, he'd had a few flings with ladies who looked oddly and embarrassingly similar to Glinda, but he'd never loved them. Not like he loved _her_.

Boq left quietly, not wanting to seem like he had nothing better to do than watch her sleep. Though of course he really _didn't_ have anything better to do.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Glinda was watching Boq suspiciously from her mound of pillows. He'd been oddly quiet since he came in to bring her dinner.

"This is delicious." She motioned to the very bland soup on her tray.

"Well thank you, I didn't make it, the cook did." He mumbled. Glinda rolled her eyes in exasperation. _Nothing interests him!_

They sat in silence for so long that Glinda felt she couldn't stand another minute, and was about to say so, when Boq suddenly spoke.

"Um...Glinda?" He started, wiping his sweaty palms on his trousers.

"Yes?" She tilted her head, impatient. "Go on."

"I was...dinner...sometime." Boq mumbled softly. Glinda strained to hear him.

"Huh?"

"I was..wonderingifyou'dliketogotodinnersometime." He blurted out before he lost his nerve.

Glinda hid her smile. So _that_ was what this was about. Still, she slightly enjoyed making him squirm. "Pardon?"

"I was um...wondering..um..if you'd like to go to..you know...dinner sometime."

She nearly giggled at his boyish embarrassment, but kept her facial expression blank. "Like a date?"

He turned impossibly red, "Uuuhhh. Well um...oh well I...yes I guess."

"I'd love to." Glinda grinned, Boq looked utterly relieved. "I'll hold you to that, as soon as I'm better."

He beamed at her. "Goodnight Glinda. Fresh dreams."


	7. Fly Into The Future

**Why yes, I did update pretty fast ;) **

**Enjoy!**

**------------------------------------------**

"Why did I agree to this?" Glinda was in her room, contemplating possible outfits for her date with Boq. _Date. _She shook her head. "I'll have to let him down gently."

Because it wasn't really a date, she told herself, she had no reason to want to impress him with her ensemble. Not at all. On the contrary, she was going to have to be very careful not to flirt with him or smile too much. There was no reason to encourage his current crush. Still, Glinda never went anywhere not properly dressed and this was no exception.

She surveyed the dresses laying on her bed. One was too sexy, the other too loud. One too girly, the other too prim. She decided on the fifth dress, a combination of the four other problems, but to a lesser degree. It was pale blue satin, dropped dangerously low at the front to accommodate her plush cleavage, and fell in loose folds to just above her knee. Glinda slipped on a pair of tall heels to give the illusion, if not the reality, of height, then decided against it. He was barely an inch taller than her, after all, and only because she was unusually petite.

Knock knock.

Glinda stared at the door. A glance at the clock confirmed that it was exactly seven o' clock. He wasn't a second late.

Boq knocked again. "Glinda?"

She gulped, tugging on the handle of the door. _Come on Glinda, get it together. This isn't a real date, after all. _

Boq, of course, was on the other side of the door, dressed in a dark suit and holding a rose. He hoped it wasn't sweaty. Despite herself, Glinda smiled as he proffered the flower shyly.

"Thank you." She stepped inside and pulled out a bud vase from her china cabinet. She hadn't been expecting this. Once the rose was neatly set in water, Glinda turned to him, grabbing a pale blue bag that exactly matched her dress. Women, Boq thought, were amazing creatures.

Boq felt his tongue pop out of his mouth. Probably not a suave move for someone who was trying to sweep her off her feet. Trying to be nonchalant, he drew his tongue back in, taking a deep breath.

"Um, w-wow."

Glinda smirked. "Where are we going?"

"The Oz." He replied, leading her out to the waiting carriage. "Is that alright?"

"Of course." She had to admit this was nice. The Oz was horribly expensive, and next to impossible to get reservations. "How did you manage that?"

"I pulled a few strings." Boq grinned at her. "You meet all kinds of people working for the Governess of Munchkinland."

"Ah, that explains it." Glinda laughed.

They pulled up beside the restaurant, and he led her to a side door.

"But this isn't where we go in?"

"Private room." He opened the door for her. Glinda took in this new information - Fiyero had never taken her to any kind of private restaurant. Nor had he opened the door for her, for that matter.

_He really did well. _She thought, gazing around the room. The walls were intricately painted with tiny golden scenes, and the carpet felt springy and new beneath her shoes. A single table sat in the middle of the room, a bottle of champagne on ice at it's center.

A waiter came immediately, pouring them glasses of champagne and offering gilded menus.

"I'm impressed." She admitted as they looked at each other across the table.

Boq flushed a little. "Well, I um.."

Glinda laughed at his awkwardness. The waiter reappeared to take their orders, and delivered them in record time. Probably a perk of this private room, Glinda thought, once again impressed.

They finished their meals, making idle chitchat along the way. The thought did occur to Boq that he ought to be making more of an effort to seduce his date. However, no matter how well it seemed to be going, he wasn't very bold. He wasn't much for words, either. Never had been and didn't want to try to start now - he hoped he'd get to show her how he felt, rather than tell her.

Standing, Boq nodded at the waiter. There was no mention of a check.

"But-" Glinda looked questioningly at him.

"No more questions." He winked at her, and boldly -although inside he was terrified - reached for her hand. Glinda stood and laced her fingers with his. He could almost hear the click. The fit. The skin against skin that didn't rub against each other so much as it meshed together.

She smiled. "Let's go then."

The night had grown slightly cooler since they had first entered the restaurant, and Glinda shivered a bit. Briefly, Boq considered putting his arm around her, and decided he wasn't quite confident enough to go that far - yet. They hurried into the carriage, and Boq passed her a blanket.

_Are you kidding? _Glinda sighed. She'd been hoping he'd at least give her his jacket. _And he was doing so well. _

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking.

"Is something wrong?" Boq looked worried.

"I'm still a little chilly, that's all." Glinda looked at him from under her lashes. _Come ON, take the hint. _She mentally screamed at him.

"Oh." She could see his cheeks flush a little in the moonlight. He gulped, and slid his arm around her slim shoulders, hoping his hand wasn't shaking _too _much.

"B-Better?"

_Finally! _Glinda mentally cheered him on, "Perfect."

Boq walked her to her bedroom, completely and totally nervous about kissing her goodnight. He'd been psyching himself up to do it for almost a week.

"So um, goodnight." He stood at her door awkwardly.

"I had a wonderful time, really." She wasn't surprised to find it was true.

Boq leaned in timidly and captured her mouth with his. Glinda was too shocked to do anything but cling to his neck as he tugged gently at her lips. Kissing her was everything he knew it would be. Hot, intense and devastating. Boq found himself lost in her warm mouth, her tongue expertly drawing his in, and what was intended to be a quick peck on the lips turned into something much, much more.

_A boy must grow to be a gentleman. _An image of his grey-haired mother appeared in his mind, and with disappointment he released her. Glinda staggered back against the door.

"Goodnight." Boq said quickly, turning to leave. She nodded and opened the door to her room.

"Goodnight."


	8. So Much Better

**Don't you LOVE when I don't update for months? Hee. Yes. Shush.**

Glinda lay awake in her bed that night, thinking. Tonight with Boq had made her feel . . .something she couldn't quite place. After Fiyero had left, she had been certain she'd have to live the rest of her life alone, resigned to spinsterhood. But that _kiss. _

"Why did he have to kiss me?" She murmured into her pillow. It would have been fine had he not been so romantic, or looked so devilishly handsome, or kissed herwith such breathtaking passion.

Throwing off the sheets, Glinda stepped carefully out to the small garden outside her bedroom, perfectly silent in the moonlight. Touching her lips lightly, she contemplated Boq. She wanted him, yes. But it wasn't fair to him – he deserved an obedient farm girl, somebody he could settle down with, have plenty of children. She wasn't that girl.

The sound of a twig snapping underfoot startled her – somebody was coming.

"Damn." Glinda grumbled, it wouldn't be proper for her to be caught with bare feet, wearing only a nightgown. But the figure rounded the corner and walked into the garden without noticing her.

Her mouth went dry. It was Boq, wandering absently along the stone pathway, his collar loosely unbuttoned and his hands in his pockets. She thought briefly of how she could escape, but he caught her eye, surprised.

"You're up late?" Boq said softly, his intense gaze making color rise in her cheeks. She pulled her nightgown more tightly against her, and he averted his eyes, always a gentleman.

"I couldn't sleep." Glinda replied, trying valiantly to hide the fact she was shivering in the cool night air.

"Me neither," He admitted, gingerly slipping an arm around her shoulders – the night's success had made him especially bold. She closed her eyes as his palm slid down her forearm and he laced his fingers with hers, the sudden closeness of him overwhelming her senses.

"Boq I.." She started awkwardly, but he covered her lips firmly with his own. She leaned against him helplessly, her fingers sliding into his hair. A tide of sensual urgency rolled through him as her nails scraped gently at the nape of his neck and he gave a faint, desperate groan, grabbing her bottom and tugging her closer to him. Glinda gave in to his invasion of her senses, her tongue exploring his mouth expertly as he pulled her still closer.

Somehow she managed to tear herself away. "I can't."

"Mm? Why not?" He murmured, his face flushed. Glinda stepped back a little.

"Boq, I..I would really like to keep seeing you but.."

"But what?" Boq was still panting, nuzzling his face into her neck.

"You deserve better! I..I really like you Boq. But I'm not the woman you want! I won't go back to Munchkinland with you. I won't live on a farm and I'm stubborn as anything. Is that what you really want in a woman? Boq, I know you want me _now_, but will you want me when I'm old and bitter and you're stuck in a life you never wanted?"

She tried to turn away but he stepped in front of her - she'd finally confessed her feelings for him and he'd be damned if he was going to let anything in Oz ruin his chance.

"Glinda, I've wanted you since we were back in Shiz. The only reason I ever stayed with Nessa was because I thought it would bring me closer to you."

Staring up at him tearfully, Glinda shook her head. "You'd be a fool to want me."

"Then call me a fool." He beamed at her. "Because I'm hopelessly in love with you, Glinda Upland. And you're a fool too - for not realizing it."

"Boq! It will never work!" She tried to turn away again but he caught her deftly and sat down on a stone bench, dragging her beside him.

"Let me tell you a story." He whispered, lightly stroking the soft skin of her palm, "Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a beautiful princess. She had everything a princess could want, beauty, adoration, and a perfect prince – a happy ending. But sometime happy endings don't turn out how you anticipated."

Glinda flashed a wry smile . "Sometimes they don't."

"The princess thought she could never love again, now she had lost her prince. But then," He fumbled for the right words. "Along came another man. He wasn't quite a prince, but he wanted the princess more than anyone else in the world, and he would stop at nothing to win her love."

"How does the story end?" She looked up at him with wide eyes. Boq hesitated.

He cupped her cheeks in his hands, hoping she wouldn't notice they were trembling. She did. "How would you like it to end?"

Glinda stared at him for a long time, as if lost in thought. "Like this."

And she kissed him, soft and light, and Boq was certain he was the luckiest man in the world.

**Reviews? I kinda feel like nobody is reading this.**


	9. Beguiled Again

Had anyone looked into the garden that night, they wouldn't have seen Glinda the Good, ruler of Oz. She was no longer a sophisticated woman of power. She was Galinda again, lying in the damp grass in her nightgown, her head cradled in Boq's shoulder as they twined their fingers together and stared at the stars.

"Look!" Boq pointed up at the sky with his free hand. "A shooting star."

She gazed upwards. "Boq, I'm fairly sure that was an owl."

"Oh." He kissed her temple lightly, not really caring about shooting stars or lack thereof. "You're beautiful."

Glinda blushed. Boq boldly leaned over so their lips met, knowing nothing would ever equal the perfection of her in his arms, after so many years with so many nights spend yearning for her. His fingers shook as he cupped the exquisite line of her jaw, kissing her harder, helpless with desire. She should have struggled or made him slow down, but there was only her knee gliding gently between his legs, driving him past all limits.

He ravished her mouth with deep, twisting kisses, bringing his body rhythmically against hers. Realizing how close he was to losing all self control, Boq ripped his mouth from hers with a quiet groan.

"Mm? Why did you stop?" She mumbled, eyes half closed.

"You have to go back to your rooms before your maids notice."

Pouting, Glinda sat up. "You want to get rid of me already?"

Boq moaned softly. "Glinda if I was with you for another second I'd snap."

"And do what?" She whispered against his neck, searching for his pulse and tracing the sensitive pathway of nerves beneath the skin with her tongue. He grabbed at the fabric of her nightgown, panting like a desperate schoolboy.

"Everything." Boq whimpered, realizing his thighs were still clenched around her leg. He cursed his inexperience with women – one kiss from her and he was reduced to this?

Glinda grinned up at him, her face flushed and her curly mane of hair splayed around her. She decided that she liked having the upper hand. "Mm, perhaps one day we _will_ do everything, Master Boq."

"M-muh-maybe?" He stuttered, stunned at her bold proposal and oddly aroused by her use of his old honorific.

"Well I suppose you should escort me back to my room then, if you're so inclined." She sat up, smirking at him.

"Y-yes." Boq gulped, standing quickly and helping her up. He led her down the pathway to her patio and stopped at her door. "Good night...Miss Galinda."

She giggled, kissing him lightly. He flushed bright pink. "Goodnight."

He watched as her door swung closed, sighing with pleasure at the night's events. She wanted him. He had her. It was the most wonderful night of his life.

* * *

Glinda woke early the next morning, her lips still tingling with kisses and her skin smelling faintly of grass. She sat at her vanity with a slight flush to her cheeks and a giddy grin, carefully combing the snarls out of her hair and thinking that maybe this was her happy ending after all.

"Good morning." Boq popped his head in shyly, carrying a bouquet of orchids and another of pink roses. "I thought you might like something a little different...then I thought that you might prefer roses so I brought both.."

"Boq!" She flushed and busied herself with filling crystal vases with water. "You didn't have to get me flowers at all!"

He stood awkwardly at the door. "Well um, which ones do you prefer?"

Glinda finished arranging the flowers and turned to him. "You spoil me."

His breath caught in his throat as the morning sunlight illuminated her hair. "You deserve to be spoiled."

"If you must know, orchids are my favourite." She whispered, aware of his gaze. Boq dared to wrap one of her butter coloured ringlets around his finger, marveling at the downy softness and letting his hand trail down her neck, lost in her sweetly scented skin. Glinda blushed under his intense stare.

"When can I see you today?" He murmured against her cheek, alluding to her crammed schedule.

"I should have left already." She admitted, checking the time. "But I guess...I guess you could come to my office this afternoon."

Boq grinned, leaning in to kiss her.

"If you finish those finance sheets." She put in quickly.

He laughed. "Alright."

Glinda kissed him softly before hurrying out the door.

**It's definitely been awhile :P but if I get some nice reviews, perhaps I'll update sooner winkwink**


	10. Life, Life

**Very short chapter, but this was a good place to end and I have another one in the works. Enjoy!**

Boq followed through on his promise to meet her that afternoon, waiting eagerly at the door to her office He ran his fingers through his hair, unsure how to enter through the throngs of reporters.

"How is the government helping...Glinda! Will you be attending the...Are you meeting with..." He picked up snippets of shouted questions, trying to piece things together and figure out what was going on. A newspaper caught his eye.

_Wildfire in Munchkinland – Landscape devastated, 60 000 dead _

His heart sank. His family, who he hadn't seen in years could be...he didn't dare think of that. Boq scanned the list of affected areas and relaxed a little – according to their letter from a year past his large family was living in Rush Margins, one of the few areas that wasn't burnt to the ground.

Glinda stood up, addressing all the questions in a level voice filled with sympathy . Boq was amazed by her strength – this was the first major disaster in Oz since her reign and she was handling it beautifully.

She caught his eye. "Excuse me one moment, this is my Press Secretary."

Boq's jaw dropped. She was gesturing at him.

"I'll be back in just a clock tick!" Glinda ushered him quickly to a tiny room full of files and closed the door.

"Do you know if your family was affected?"

"I think they're okay. I mean, I can't know for sure but..." Boq wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently. "You're doing so well out there."

Glinda sighed heavily, resting her head on his shoulder as if she held the weight of the world on her own. "Sorry about the Press Secretary thing. You would never get to see me otherwise."

"Anything for you." He whispered into her hair. "They're getting restless. You should go back out."

"I should." She smoothed his collar absently and Boq was struck by how intimate a gesture it was. He grinned. "Come on."

Once again facing a hoard of reporters, Glinda smiled prettily and handed him a stack of papers. "We were just discussing some urgent matters to do with funding. I plan on giving a large sum of money to the families affected, even if it must come out of my personal accounts. I will also be starting a donation program for the citizens of Oz, so more money can be raised."

A murmur of approval ran through the crowd and they began to dissipate, only to be replaced with a new hoard of state officials. Boq slipped away through the side door, leaving Glinda to her business.

* * *

Boq had expected the whole ordeal to be over by that evening, which would turn out to be very wrong indeed. For the next three days, Glinda was in a constant stream of meetings, conferences, and public appearances – Boq hadn't been able to catch her alone once, not even as her 'press secretary'. He was worried, her appointments often went late into the evening or began at sunrise, and Glinda looked pale beneath the layers of and makeup. 

Early that evening as Boq sat in his office, pushing papers around and worrying as he often did, she showed up at his door.

"Glinda?" He could see dark smudges under her eyes from exhaustion. "How much sleep have you been getting?"

"Almost none. But it's done." She said drowsily, plopping down on the sofa.

"What's done?"

"All the paperwork, all the funding. I'm leaving for Munchkinland tomorrow morning." He watched her eyes flutter closed as she propped her head in her hands. "Come with me. You can stay in a hotel for a few days with me, then go visit your parents."

"Glinda I don't know..." He would have accepted in a second, but feared looking too eager.

"Just say yes." Glinda mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She was grouchy and tired, and tugging at her hairpins only succeeded in knotting her hair.

"Of course." Boq said earnestly, glad for an excuse to accept. "Here, let me help."

He started to work on her tangled curls, patiently disentangling a hairpin. Glinda sighed as his fingers worked gently at the base of her neck, tipping her head forward. He heard her catch her breath as he pulled out a particularly tight tangle. Appalled by the idea that he had caused her pain, Boq rubbed his fingertips against her scalp.

"Mmm." She murmured in approval, patiently waiting for him to finish.

When the last pin was pulled, Glinda buried her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly. "Get to bed Glinda. You need some rest."

She nodded against his chest. "Promise you'll come with me to Munchkinland?"

She looked impossibly childlike, the lamp's light catching in her loose hair and her face free of makeup. Boq once again marveled at how lucky he was to have her. "Anything you want Glinda. I'm yours."

"I.." She started, then stopped again, fumbling for her words. I appreciate it? I like you? _I love you? _"Goodnight."


	11. In His Eyes

Boq was standing beside a carriage the following morning, watching the sun rise and waiting for Glinda to finish packing her luggage. He couldn't imagine how she could fit much more, the carriage was sinking with the weight of the large suitcases already inside.

"Okay." She called at last, her heels clacking on the pavement as she ran towards him. He smiled - as he always did - at the sight of her, hair loose around her shoulders and cheeks flushed from the slightly chilly air. "I'm ready."

He helped her into the carriage and Glinda sighed contentedly – this was her first chance to really relax in days. Sinking into the pale blue upholstery she looked over at Boq, who was looking slightly apprehensive.

"Is everything alright? I brought extra blankets in case is gets cooler but if you'd like one now I can -"

"Oh Boq." She giggled. "Relax."

Flushing, he nodded. "If you're sure. . ."

"This is perfect." Glinda nuzzled her head into his chest as they started to move.

Well sprung and equipped though the carriage was, the brisk pace of the vehicle caused it to jolt and sway, and after a few hours of travel Boq began to feel nauseated. He was exhausted and could find no comfortable position in which to sleep without banging his head on the window, or relinquishing his hold on Glinda – which he was not about to do at any cost.

She however, was used to such travel, placidly staring out the window and braiding the ribbon on her stocking over and over again until the ribbon was permanently crimped.

Boq wiped sweat off his brow, painfully aware of how his rumpled, travel worn appearance looked against her immaculate beauty.

Glinda glanced up at his blanched face and clammy skin. "Are you alright?"

He gulped. "I'm fine."

"No you're not, you look ghastly." She said bluntly, "Lie down."

"Really, I'm -" Boq protested weakly.

Clucking gently, Glinda maneuvered him so that he was laying on the seat with his head in her lap. "There. Now isn't that better?"

"Mhmm." He mumbled, not bothering to protest – there were worse things than being mothered by Glinda.

As she lightly rubbed the back of his neck Boq thought of how cruel the world could be. Here he was, being coddled by the woman he adored – and he could feel the curve of her breast just above his ear - and completely unable to enjoy it between suppressing waves of nausea.

Her fingertips brushed lightly over his eyelids. "Have a rest."

He woke up as the carriage pulled to a stop. "What's going on?"

"We're just changing teams." Glinda felt his cheek. "Feel any better?"

"Much." Sitting up, Boq looked sheepishly at her. "I'm so sorry Glinda.."

"Don't be silly." She placed a feathery kiss on the bridge of his nose and giggled. "You were terribly green, I almost thought you were -"

_Elphaba_. The word hovered on her lips, unleashing a torrent of memories. Glinda closed her eyes firmly, wondering how a single word could push her so deeply into that dark place at the back of her mind.

Boq saw the sudden change in her demeanor and felt the word hovering heavily in the air between them. He wracked his mind for something green.

"A bean sprout?"

As if snapping back to reality, Glinda sank heavily into her seat and whispered. "Yes, a bean sprout."

He gave her shoulders a quick squeeze and she surprised him by curling up and burying her face in his shoulder. Boq didn't say another word, stroking her back as the carriage began to move again.

Glinda stayed like that for a long time, until at last Boq broke the silence. "So where are we staying in Munchkinland?"

He was attempting to coax her back to normalcy and she knew it. In fact, Glinda was incredibly grateful for his distractions.

"I don't know, I didn't arrange any of it." She lifted her head timidly, "I hope you're not feeling ill again?"

Boq shook his head. "Not right now. How do you stay so calm?"

"Habit I suppose, normally I travel by bubble and I'm sure you can imagine how queasy I felt at first!" Glinda laughed weakly, "I just try not to think about it."

He relaxed, she was obviously coming out of whatever state she'd been in -

"Boq, are you sure you want me to meet your parents?" Glinda was obviously more than a little apprehensive.

- and entering a new one.

"Let me tell you another little story," She looked up at him attentively, and he continued. "You know I have lots of siblings right?"

Glinda nodded. "Where is this going?"

"Hush, you'll see. I have several older brothers, all who are much more confident than myself. Every Saturday they would fight - and I mean fight quite literally – for the rights to this tiny old buggy we had. Whoever won would get to take the girl they met at the dance for a ride in it."

She giggled, "How sweet! Did you ever take a girl in it?"

"Well that's the thing," He grinned wryly, "I wasn't as tall, handsome or confident as them. No girl wanted to come home with the scrawny little brother when she could have the heartthrob himself!"

"So what happened?" Glinda stared up at him with wide, round eyes. "Did you ever get the girl?"

He shook his head, laughing. "Not once. But you see, that's why I'm so thrilled to bring you home – I'd like to formally invite you to be the very first woman that I ever take for a ride in that buggy. Assuming that it's still in one piece of course."

"Boq! That's so romantic! I - I'd love to." She threw her arms around his neck, "You have the most wonderful talent for cheering me up."

"So you see? I would never want to bring anyone but you home."

"But what if your parents don't like me?"

"Than so what? _I _like you."

Glinda cuddled into his chest. "I like _you_, too."


	12. See Her Smile

**A/N: So as a sort of apology for the long wait, this chapter is extra long and extra steamy! Hahaha. I don't want to change the rating because this is otherwise a T rated story, and if you skip this chapter you won't miss out on any plot points. **

**THIS IS AN M RATED CHAPTER, SKIP IT IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.**

Glinda fell asleep halfway to the inn, curled in Boq's arms. The strain of the journey had caught up to them, for they slept soundly on through noisy team changes and over pitted roads. It wasn't until dusk had set and the chirp of the cicadas echoed through the trees, that they awoke.

"Mmm," Blissfully content, Glinda nestled deeper into the crook of Boq's neck. "Oh! It's nearly dark already!"

Mumbling drowsily, Boq kissed her forehead. "G'back to sleep."

"I wish," She traced featherlight patterns on his chest with her finger. "We should be arriving at an inn soon."

"That's nice." He said absently, drifting off to sleep again. The carriage jolted to a stop, nearly sending them both flying off the seat.

"I think we're here," Glinda peered outside at a rather shabby looking inn. "I suppose you can't be too picky in the middle of nowhere..."

Boq squinted through the window, rubbing his eyes. "Ah well, it looks safe enough."

Taking Glinda's hand, he helped her out of the carriage and tipped the driver as he made to carry her bags in.

The inn itself was certainly not spectacular, but it was immediately welcoming. The floors were shabby but polished, and a broad oak table sat in the center of the room, beeswax candles giving off a subtle scent.

"Welcome!" A tiny woman with a round face approached them. "You must be the new lodgers, I presume?"

"Yes, only for tonight though." Glinda answered politely, "Oh, that smells wonderful!"

"Eat. You look starved!" The woman stood over a pot of stew, ladling it out into bowls. "I'll go make sure your rooms are ready."

Boq's stomach growled. "Thank you."

Spreading her skirts daintily, Glinda sat down and accepted a large earthenware bowl.

"Does you family know we're coming?" She asked, taking a small bite of stew.

"I sent a letter before we left," he smiled. "I hope it reaches them before we do. I haven't seen my family in a very long time – Nessa never let me leave."

Boq said her name as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth - he may have forgiven Elphaba, but the same couldn't be said for Nessarose. Glinda winced, making a mental note to gently probe the subject later but decided to leave it for now.

"I'm sure they'll be glad to see you." She ran her bare foot lightly across his ankle, hiding a smile as Boq nearly spat out his stew.

"Y-yes." He mumbled, gripping his napkin tighter as her toes continued to tickle the bottom of his pant leg. She would be the end of him, Boq thought, glancing skywards.

They finished eating in silence, and as if on cue the innkeeper came to collect their bowls. Glinda watched her carefully – she had suspected a touch of magic had been involved in the flavoring of that stew, and her perfectly timed appearance only confirmed her suspicions. She thought idly that Elphaba would have been rather proud of her for sensing it, then discarded the idea immediately.

"Let me show you to your rooms." A young serving maid gestured towards the stairway.

--

Glinda sat on the edge of her bed, trying desperately to untangle her freshly washed hair. She peered in the mirror and cringed – her attempts at detangling had failed miserably, and her damp curls stuck out in all directions. To make matters worse, Glinda was certain that there was a hairpin tangled somewhere, and had only succeeded in knotting her hair farther trying to find it.

Sighing heavily, she grabbed her comb and flung open the door to Boq's room. He stood at the window, lost in thought. Glinda crept up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist.

"Boq?" She whispered into his ear.

He jumped, startled. "How did you get in?"

"Through the door."

"Oh, well that makes sense.." Boq mumbled, blushing,

"Anyway, I look ridiculous!" Glinda laughed, "My hair's a mess and you did such a lovely job of fixing it last night, care to try again?"

"I'll do my best." He grinned at her, sitting down on the bed and pulling her down beside him. As he tugged at her knotted curls, she took his free hand and laced her fingers with his. Glinda smiled at his sharp intake of breath, lightly nuzzling her head into his shoulder.

Boq tried to focus his attention on the task at hand - her hair really was a mess - but he was terribly enticed by the scent of her skin. The sleeve of her nightgown had slipped a little, exposing her bare shoulder and he paused, his comb hovering mid air.

"Is something wrong?" Glinda turned around to look at him, her lips slightly parted and a cascade of tangled curls framing her face. "Boq?"

He pulled her lips to his in a bruising kiss, frantically trying to pull her as close to him as possible. Although certainly caught off guard, Glinda was not opposed to his advances – he was so terribly shy most of the time, who was she to complain when he finally made a move? Her nails dragged across the back of his neck and Boq groaned softly, utterly overcome by the sensations. Only when his head swam for lack of air did he pull away.

"Glinda..I'm so sorry, I got carried away." His face turned beet red. "I'll..I'll finish your hair now."

"Boq! You have no reason to apologize."

"I don't?"

"You may kiss me whenever you like," Glinda giggled at his obvious nervousness, running her hands down his chest and letting them settle in his lap, "In fact, I'd prefer it if you kissed me as often as possible."

"And anyway," she leaned into his ear, her lips grazing his cheek. "Getting carried away is the best part."

"Then it's alright if I kiss you now?" He whispered hoarsely.

Glinda reached out slowly, as if he were a wild animal that might bolt if startled, and her fingers brushed through his front locks with careful lightness. "Of course."

Boq closed his eyes with a faint, desperate groan, his mouth fastening on hers with a primal greed, both his hands sliding up to cradle her head. He was so sweet and ardent in his enthusiasm that she almost smiled, but the smile was lost in the luscious friction of their lips. Glinda gently pushed him backwards onto the bed, her legs wrapping around him, her hands roaming over the muscles of his back.

Ruthlessly patient, she brushed his jaw with whisper soft kisses. He whimpered, trying to pull her lips back to his but she persisted in her torturous assault on his senses. Boq had never experienced such intense arousal in his life, every cell in his body pervaded with heat. At last she lowered her mouth to his, and suddenly it was impossible to get enough physical contact, he couldn't kiss her deeply enough, he needed more of her. More of her skin, her smell, her hair wrapped around his fingers. Boq buried his head into her shoulder with a deep, shuddering sigh as she deftly undid the buttons on his shirt, her hot mouth following them down to his stomach.

"Oh..." he mumbled in surprise as her hands slid down farther,"G-Glinda..."

"Shall I stop?" She grinned wickedly, her eyes shining with mirth and her fingers fluttering over the fly of his pants.

"_No_."

"Fair enough."

Glinda made quick work of the rest of his clothes, and hers, until they were mingled in a heap on the floor. She was leaning over him, her mouth playing with his in kisses so lazy and prolonged that he couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. The length of her naked form pressed against his, startling him when she dragged her tongue across his taut nipple. Her touch was devilishly light and gentle, too gentle, he desperately wanted more. Boq growled in frustration, clutching handfuls of the linens.

As she felt his escalating wildness, Glinda eased him back, ignoring his whimper of protest. Her own breath knocked sharply in her throat, and it seemed to require great effort to sort through her disordered thoughts.

"You can have everything you want. You don't have to fight for it." She cooed, stroking his cheek. Boq nodded jerkily. He had never been so aware of the difference in their respective experience,

realizing that she was able to restrain her intense passion while he was utterly overwhelmed.

Nuzzling the strong column of his throat, Glinda hitched her slender legs high over his hips, lowering herself onto him. His head fell back and he gasped at the sensation, his hands cupping beneath her bottom as she began to move in a careful rhythm. Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he ground himself into her, sending waves of fire through her body. He bucked his hips frantically and she steadied him with the firm pressure of her legs, deliberately pushing him over the edge of sanity as she took him deeper. He groaned and begged until at last her measured rhythm sped up, making the bedsprings creak with their feverish passion.

Glinda let out a hoarse cry as a heavy tide of ecstasy swept over her, tumbling through her senses. His features went taut with excitement, while his breath scraped in his throat. "G-Glinda," he rasped, gripping her bottom more firmly. "My God, I can't..._Glinda_.." His eyes closed, and he groaned harshly as he reached his own climax, breathing heavily against her neck.

Panting, Glinda lowered her body onto his and rested her cheek on his chest. Boq lay limply beneath her, gulping for air as she tickled his skin with her eyelashes. He snaked his arms around her back, his fingertips raking lightly over her spine as he savored the pleasant ache in his muscles.

"Sweet Oz." Boq murmured. Glinda smiled, enjoying the peaceful rise and fall of his chest as his breathing slowed. After a few minutes, she untangled herself and crawled under the blankets, pulling him with her.

"Oh no," she moaned. "Now my hair is worse that it was before."

Laughing, Boq ran her fingers through her hair. His hand got stuck. "Yes, I think so."

"Boq?" she helped ease his fingers out of her curls. "Did you and Nessa ever..."

He stiffened suddenly, his face stony. "Well, er, I suppose you should probably know. We did, by no fault of my own I might add.."

"Don't worry," Glinda ran her palms down his back. "I'm not upset or anything, I was just curious."

"I was very drunk, and she promised I could leave her service if I did." Boq closed his eyes for a moment as she stroked the nape of his neck tenderly. "She pretended it never happened."

Glinda sighed. She had suspected as much.

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be? It's not your fault," she nipped lightly at his bottom lip. "Relax, you're so tense."

Boq smiled. "Tonight was far better anyway."

"I should hope so!"

After reaching up to switch off the light, Glinda snuggled back into bed beside him.

"I hmm you." she whispered sleepily.

"What?"

"Well," Glinda felt her cheeks turn pink. "I'm not sure that I want to say 'love' just yet. After Fiyero, you know? But if I were to say it to anyone, it would be you. So this is a compromise of sorts."

"I hmm you too." Boq whispered into her ear, feeling rather than seeing her smile.


End file.
